Purple Moon 2003 California Shiraz

Another great bang-for-the-buck wine at Trader Joe's, at $4 per bottle. I've been enjoying a string of great-tasting, inexpensive "moon" wines lately from TJ's. The label on the Shiraz says "Purple Moon Winery", whereas the labels on the Zinfandel and Viogner said "Full Moon Winery" but Manteca, CA, is listed as the origin for both wineries, and given the similarity of the names and labels, I suspect it's the same wine company. The label suggests pairing it with "bold, spicy sauces that have a touch of sweetness" ... it went just dandy with the leftover pasta and marinara from the other night, which was paired then with the 1993 Tomassi Amarone. The two wines are clearly in different leagues, with the Purple Moon being more in my price comfort zone these days. I'd buy this wine again.

[BTW, searching for other reviews of this wine led me to Bernie's Bargain Wine Reviews, a blog after my own heart -- with more information than I typically post, and photos too!]

Comments

I just tried the 2005 version of Purple Moon Shiraz (http://www.boxwines.org/articles/purple-moon-shiraz-2005.htm) - very fruity and pleasant, but not much in the way of spice or complexity. It was kind of likable, though. It sounds like the previous years had a bit more to offer.